Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	christian_a	good_a	great_a	1,688	4	2.1264	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A62263	The felicity of a Christian life by Hierome Savonarola.; De simplicitate Christianae vitae. Liber 5. English	Savonarola, Girolamo, 1452-1498.	1651 (1651)	Wing S779; ESTC R7937	21,807	82

him neither can he understand them because they are spiritually discerned But the true Christian the man that hath supernaturall light in him shall discern them and if with pure intention and an humble heart he set himself to the reading of holy Scriptures meditating or considering well what he reades and begging the grace of divine illumination with constancy and perseverance from God This man I say shall doubtlesse be wonderfully elevated by reading and fitted for divine favours and shall find those endlesse and immortall pleasures in them which do incomparably exceed the greatest of this world For this is certain every Thing is best delighted with that which is connaturall unto it as different humours do alwayes affect different recreations according to that of the Poet Trahit sua quemque voluptas Every man hath his own fancy But unto him that is indued with supernaturall light the most naturall that is most agreeable study of all is certainly the study of holy Scriptures which proceeded from that same fountain of light Therefore also in the reading and contemplation of them the true Christian finds his greatest content Besides every Thing is best pleased in such kind of Action as is most proper for it self But there is nothing more proper for a Christian then the Contemplation of Christ crucified by the study of Scripture For should he go about to conceive or meditate of him meerly according to naturall reason or the principles of Philosophy neglecting Scripture he would certainly find lesse proficiency and perhaps run himself into some hazard of dangerous errour for such contemplation were purely naturall imperfect and by which he should never attain unto the mysteries of Faith of which thing we have examples in our modern Divines who seeming to give themselveꝰ wholly to Aristotle and the study of Philosophy are become generally lesse devout lesse Contemplatiue then the meanest of the people Besides Truth which is the object of understanding the higher it is the greater delight it causeth in the acquisition now the verityes of holy Scripture are the most high and mysterious of all other because they treat principally of such things as be undiscernable by naturall light Again in regard of the inconstancy of mans nature which is neuer long delighted with the same thing but alwayes affects variety and change of pleasure the sacred Scriptures do become a most agreeable exercise to our spirit For how admirable how ravishing is that variety we meet with in them of Histories of senses of Types of Figures and yet a most exquisite harmony between them all All the parts All the Books of the Old and New Testament exactly consenting in one and pointing unto the same generall and supream verity or end which is the love of God and our neighbour of which while they treat sometime historically and plainly sometime more mystically and profoundly they do as it were present a nose-gay of celestiall and various flowers unto our soul which continually changing do yet most constantly encrease spirituall content We conclude therefore that in the reading and meditation of holy Scripture most exquisite delights be found The XVII Conclusion THat a good Christian the more simply that is to say sincerely he liveth the greater consolation he hath from God from our Lord Jesus Christ and from the study of holy Scriptures This is true whither we speak of simplicity only Interiour or that of the heart for the understanding or mind of man together with his affections the more pure and sincere they be so much the more do they render him fit and capable of divine Illustrations For this simplicity of heart doth indeed require that we be altogether purged from terrene and grosse affections to the end that a mans spirit might be intirely set upon God and by this simplicity or purity as much as may be made like unto him It is true also in regard of simplicity exteriour or that which consisteth in the Actions and conversation of men as is manifest For to contemplate well divine mysteries it is necessary that the heart of man be in great rest and very well composed in it self and therefore we see commonly that those who desire to partake of divine Illuminations do retire themselves as much as may be from the noyse and disturbances of the world as of the Spouse in the Canticles it is said I will lead her into the wildernesse saith he that is into solitude and there will I speak to her heart And in an other place He shall sit alone and keep silence because by so doing he shall be lifted up above himself And contrariwise we see the richer a man is and more incombred with worldly affairs the lesse is he affected unto contemplation but where a mans outward affairs are few or none there is alwayes lesse distraction of mind Therefore our holy Fathers and predecessours in the Contemplative life were alwayes wont to renounce their affairs of the world and retire themselves into Solitude thereby more promptly and readily to attend Divine Meditations Every man therefore in his particular degree and quality shall find the more simply and uprightly he indeavours to live the greater Consolations he shall receive from God and from Christ The XVIII Conclusion THat the Christian life is the onely Blessed life Never was there nor ever shall be found out any kind of life more happy then that because none better If therefore the life of any men may be accounted happy in this world it is certainly that of Christians For if we observe it comprehendeth all those perfections wherein the Philosophers antiently placed happinesse and so hath whatsoever they judged good and desireable as for example if we place happinesse as some of them did in the Contemplation of God and things Divine there is none more excellent and perfect then those which the Christian life affordeth If we place it in morall virtue and in the life active that is in good government of our selves and others there is no better to be desired by man then that which Christian Philosophy prescribeth If we place it in riches honours powers dignities or other goods of the body though this may seem hardest yet the Christian life is not altogether uncapable of these and hath no absolute repugnance to them for we say Whatsoever perfection appears in the effect is some way or other in the cause as the Sunne which causeth heat in all inferiour bodies is it self also at least virtually hot it is not indeed necessary the cause should contain every particular perfection of the effect formally and in the same manner as the effect doth it sufficeth that it be contained eminently as we say or by some more excellent way then it is in the effect So in proportion we also say that the Christian life doth comprehend yea afford all those goods which Secular men do so much desire though not in such manner as they commonly affect and hunt after them but in a better